Hair and scalp parasite eradication

ABSTRACT

A hair and scalp covering shield in the form of a flexible bag  10  is shaped to firmly cover the hair and scalp of a person intended for exposure to a hair louse treatment routine. The inlet  14  to the bag  10  in fitted with an elastic band  16.  The bag  12  is fitted with an aperture in the form of a hole  24  incorporating a non-return closure type facility  18  to enable the charging of agent to a treatment zone  26  formed within the bag  12  once in use. Treatment of hair lice is effected by starving the treatment zone  26  of oxygen in response to introducing oxygen deficient agent into the zone  26  once the bulk of air has been removed.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

The treatment of hair and scalp related parasitical problems, andespecially head lice, is conventionally done by way of a washing actionin which a chemical agent is washed to the hair and onto the scalp. Asthis medium is quite toxic such treatment cannot be done on a regularintermittent basis for the sake of the health of the person beingtreated. As the function of the conventional agent is to eliminate liceas such, unhatched eggs and nit can only be dealt with once hatched thusrequiring a treatment program. As said, the toxicity of the agent servesas a restriction on such washing program in turn restricting itseffectiveness. A further problem experienced with the present way oftreatment is that it requires substantial effort to prevent agent fromreaching the eyes, ears, mouth and perhaps other faculties of the personbeing treated. This is especially cumbersome in the case of smallerchildren. Even if the hair and scalp of a person being so treated iscovered, liquid agent, as properly wetting such hair and scalp, cannoteffectively be fully contained within a covering zone. While duringconventional treatment the agent must be maintained on the hair andscalp for a length of time to be effective this immobilizes the personundergoing such delicing treatment. It is, amongst others, an object ofthis invention to address these drawbacks.

BRIEF SUMMARY

This invention deals with a hair and scalp covering shield, a hair andscalp treatment kit and a method for use, amongst others, to treat hairand scalp for parasitical conditions and especially head lice. While thevarious aspects of the invention are described in particular detail fordealing with the parasitical condition of head lice it will beappreciated that it is not necessarily so limited but can findapplication in the case of other hair and scalp related problems thatcan be similarly treated.

DRAWING FIGURES

The invention is now described in more detail, by way of example, withreference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a hair and scalp-.covering shield forming part of a hairand scalp treatment kit for treating hair and scalp parasites,particularly, head lice, in the form of a flexible cover as provided byhair and scalp coverable bag,

FIG. 2 diagrammatically shows the bag during use, and

FIG. 3 shows in a partly cut away view a developed embodiment of the bagused in conjunction with lice eradicating agent.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings a hair and scalp-covering shield, being oneaspect of the invention, forming part of a hair and scalp treatment kit,forming another aspect of the invention, for treating hair and scalpparasites, particularly, head lice, in the form of a flexible cover asprovided by hair and scalp coverable bag is generally indicated byreference numeral 10.

The bag 10 is shaped to fit against at least substantial gaseous and/orvapor type agent escape onto the hair and scalp of the head 12 of aperson intended for exposure to a hair and scalp louse treatment routineby being fitted along the inlet 14 of the bag with an elastic band 16 orbeing otherwise elastically formed while further incorporating anagent-charging aperture formed to limit agent escape by being in theform of an at least generally non-return closure type facility 18.

As shown in FIG. 1 the closure type facility 18 is in the form of aseries of circumferentially arranged resilient flaps 20 narrowing to acommon centre from the circumferential edge 22 of a hole 24 through thewall of the bag 10. The flaps 20 are thus secured along their bases tothe body of the bag 10 while their apexes meet at the centre of the hole24. The facility 18 is opened by simply fitting the nozzle of an agentcontainer (not shown) into the hole 24 in the process urging the flapsout of their common plane. As the flaps 20 can flex in either directionthe closure 18 also contributes to expelling of air from a treatmentzone 26 formed intermediate the head of a user and the bag 10 oncefitted for use as discussed more extensively below with reference toFIG. 2. While the closure action of the closure type facility 18 is notcritical in the sense of having to fully seal off the zone 26 anysuitable mechanism for achieving the desired function can be used.

In specifically referring to FIG. 3 and in a developed embodiment wherea liquid agent is used, the bag 10 is fitted with agent absorbing andreleasing means in the form of a sponge 28 straddling the inside of thehole 24 in such a way that agent injected into the zone 26, once the bag10 is fitted for use, is absorbed by the sponge 28 for gradualevaporative release. The sponge 28 is formed with a central recess (notshown) to accommodate the flaps 20 on insertion of the nozzle of anagent-carrying container into the hole 24.

The invention also extends to a hair and scalp treatment kit comprisingthe bag 10 and an agent-releasing device in the form of a conventionalnozzle fitted pressurized container (not shown) containing usernon-detrimental parasite eradicating agent in the form of, for example,pressurized butane or alcohol or carbon dioxide or a combination ofthese components. The butane or alcohol or carbon dioxide thus servesthe purpose of air diluting medium for adequately diluting any remainingair in the zone 26 once the bulk of air has been squeezed from it torender the environment of the treatment zone 26 effectively oxygendeficient once the kit is in use. The agent, in whichever effectiveform, can be supplemented with a suitable deodorant.

While the kit is described in conjunction with its use for eradicatinghead lice it will be appreciated that it is not limited to such useonly.

In use and referring more particularly to FIG. 2 the bag 10 is simplypositioned onto the head 12 of the person intended for treatment, asshown in FIG. 2( a) in forming the treatment zone 26, with its elasticband 16 running below the hairline along the forehead, the ears and atthe back the upper neck of such person in general enclosing the person'sscalp and hair.

As shown in FIG. 2( b) the bulk of air is then ejected from the zone 26by simply manually squeezing the bag 10 down onto the head 12 of theuser resulting in air becoming expelled between the edge 30 of the bag10 and the head 12 of the person and also via the closure type facility18, as already discussed.

The next step involves the charging of agent into the zone 26 via thehole 24 with the use of the pressurized container. When in the form ofthe gaseous medium described above the agent is simply released into thezone 26. When of liquid character the embodiment of FIG. 3 isconveniently used promoting the progressive release of agent into thezone 26 by the body heat of the head 12. The charging of agent to thezone 26 has the effect of ballooning the bag 10 again, perhaps even tothe condition of FIG. 2( a).

With the agent working on the basis of oxygen removal its largevolumetric extent, once charged to the zone 26, as compared to anyremaining air, effectively removes all oxygen from the zone 26. Headlice quickly die off owing to becoming starved of oxygen.

Final removal of parasite remains is achieved by simply brushing it fromthe hair and scalp once the bag 10 has been removed and conventionallywashing the hair and scalp where required. While unhatched eggs and nitmay remain on the hair and scalp after a treatment routine it may haveto be repeated to render the hair and scalp fully free of head lice. Aschemicals that are non-toxic to hair and scalp are used such repetitionswill not be detrimental to the health of the person being treated.

An advantage of the invention is found in its convenience and safety ofapplication even by way of repetitions as compared to the toxicity ofthe conventional technique, as discussed above. This is enhanced by thefact that the object of the function and the equipment of the inventionare to starve and environment of oxygen and not to be worked into hair.While the agent, at least once performing its function, is in the formof a gas or vapor the eyes, ears and mouth of a person being treated isnot exposed to an a flow of liquid agent.

As regards its convenience the advantage is found in the retainedmobility of the person undergoing the treatment as such person's scalpand hair remains substantially dry during treatment.

1) A hair and scalp covering shield amongst others for use in treatinghair and scalp for parasitical conditions comprising a flexible coverpresenting a resilient edge region while being formed to collapsiblycover the hair and scalp of a user against at least substantial agentrelease and against impairing other head associated bodily functionsonce in use though permitting the expelling of the bulk of air from atreatment zone formed between the cover and the head of such user onceoperatively fitted by the exertion of manual pressure on the cover, andan agent-charging aperture formed through the cover in a way that atleast generally limits agent escape to enable the charging of agent,that at least once becoming released into such treatment zone is ofnon-liquid character, to such treatment zone against at leastsubstantial release there from once such zone is formed. 2) A hair andscalp covering shield as claimed in claim 1 in which the cover is in theform of a bag sized to in a collapsing and expanding way fit the hairand scalp of a user. 3) A hair and scalp covering shield as claimed inclaim 1 in which the agent-charging aperture is formed to at leastgenerally limit agent escape by being in the form of an at leastgenerally non-return closure type facility. 4) A hair and scalp coveringshield as claimed in claim 3 in which the non-return type closurefacility is in the form of a series of circumferentially arrangedresilient flaps narrowing to a common centre from the circumferentialedge of a hole through the cover enabling opening of the closure byurging the flaps out of their common plane. 5) A hair and scalp coveringshield as claimed in claim 1 in which the cover is fitted with agentabsorbing and releasing means situated on the treatment zone formingside of the aperture onto which agent, and especially when in the formof a liquid, is depositable for subsequently vaporization in response tobody heat generated inside such treatment zone once the shield is inuse. 6) A hair and scalp covering shield as claimed in claim 7 in whichthe absorbing and releasing means is in the form of a sponge. 7) A hairand scalp treatment kit for use in treating hair and scalp forparasitical conditions comprising a flexible hair and scalp cover formedwith a resilient edge and to collapsibly cover the hair and scalp of auser against at least substantial agent release while limiting theimpairment of other head associated bodily functions once in use thoughpermitting the removal of air from a treatment zone formed between thecover and the head of such user once operatively fitted by the exertionof manual pressure on the cover, an agent-charging aperture formedthrough the cover in a way that at least generally limits agent escapeto enable the charging of agent, that at least once becoming releasedinto such treatment zone is of non-liquid character, to such treatmentzone against at least substantial release there from once such zone isformed, and an agent-releasing device constituted to release usernon-detrimental parasite eradicating agent into such treatment zone viathe charging aperture, in use of the kit agent being charged to suchtreatment zone once the bulk of air has been manually squeezed therefrom. 8) A kit as claimed in claim 7 in which the agent-releasing deviceis constituted to release parasite eradicating agent of the kind thatserves as air diluting medium for adequately diluting any remaining aironce the bulk of air has been removed, to render the environment of suchtreatment zone at least substantially oxygen deficient once the kit isin use. 9) A kit as claimed in claim 8 in which the agent-releasingdevice is constituted to release at least one of alcohol, butane andcarbon dioxide as air diluting medium. 10) A kit as claimed in claim 7in which the agent-releasing device is in the form of a pressurizedcontainer of which the discharge nozzle is formed to fit through thecharging aperture of the cover. 11) A kit as claimed in claim 7 in whichthe cover is in the form of a bag of flexible material sized to in acollapsing and expanding way fit the hair and scalp of a user 12) A kitas claimed in claim 7 in which the agent-charging aperture is formed toat least generally limit agent and gas escape by being in the form of aone-way non-return closure type facility. 13) A kit as claimed in claim12 in which the non-return closure type facility is in the form of aseries of circumferentially arranged resilient flaps narrowing to acommon centre from the circumferential edge of a hole through the coverenabling opening of the closure by urging the flaps out of their commonplane. 14) A kit as claimed in claim 7 in which the cover is fitted withagent absorbing and releasing means situated on the treatment zoneforming side of the aperture onto which agent, and especially when inthe form of a liquid, is depositable for subsequently vaporization inresponse to body heat generated inside such treatment zone once the kitis in use. 15) A kit as claimed in claim 14 in which the absorbing andreleasing means is in the form of a sponge. 16) A method of treatinghair and scalp against parasitical conditions comprising pre-enclosingthe hair and scalp involved in forming a treatment zone that iseffectively separated from the environment though against impairingother head associated bodily functions, removing the bulk of air fromthe treatment zone, and charging the treatment zone, once the bulk ofair has been removed, with user non-detrimental parasite eradicatingagent, parasite remains removal from the treatment zone being achievedby way of an appropriate physical action once the treatment zone hasbeen collapsed. 17) A method as claimed in claim 16 that comprisescharging the treatment zone with eradicating agent in the form of oxygendeficient diluting medium that, at least once becoming released intosuch treatment zone, is of non-liquid character and to the extent ofadequately diluting any remaining air to render the zone at leastsubstantially oxygen deficient having the effect of causing parasitedemise owing to exposure to an oxygen deficient environment for a lengthof time. 18) A method as claimed in claim 17 that comprises charging thetreatment zone with diluting medium in the form of at least one ofalcohol, butane and carbon dioxide for the eradication of at leastcommon head lice. 19) A method as claimed in claim 16 that comprisespre-enclosing the affected area by way of a flexible cover of which theinlet, as resiliently formed, is arranged to fit the scalp and hairagainst at least substantial release of diluting medium once chargedthereto while still permitting the removal of the bulk of air prior tothe introduction of diluting medium by manually squeezing the cover ontothe hair and scalp involved in the treatment. 20) A method as claimed inclaim 19 that involves charging the treatment zone with diluting mediumvia an agent-charging aperture formed through the flexible cover in away that at least generally limits diluting medium escape.